An analyst has alleged that about 80 percent of agencies involved in Ghana’s fight against illegal mining have been compromised and are shielding illegal miners for financial gain.
Speaking on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, the analyst, Tetteh, claimed that some officials regularly visit illegal mining sites to demand bribes, allowing the activities to continue despite government efforts to stop galamsey.
He argued that the use of security personnel in the fight against illegal mining has failed to produce the desired results, insisting that corruption within enforcement institutions remains a major obstacle.
“We have used the police and soldiers, and yet we have not been able to deal with the situation. It is also not surprising that nine Blue Water Guards have been arrested for accepting bribes and impersonating NAIMOS officials,” he said.
Tetteh criticised both the current and previous administrations, saying neither had done enough to address the illegal mining crisis.
“From the previous government to this one, they have made very little effort in dealing with galamsey. The government is pretending to be fighting galamsey. It appears our authorities are not serious. Even licensed mining companies are breaching our laws,” he stated.
He alleged that several institutions responsible for enforcement had been compromised, including the Police Service, military, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).
“The worst part is that the police officers, soldiers, EPA officials, NADMO officials, and almost all our security services are compromised. The officials go there to accept bribes. That is what the illegal miners keep telling us. They are now protecting the illegal miners so they can make their money,” he alleged.
The analyst also criticised the government’s security advisers, describing them as “intellectually bankrupt” and accusing them of failing to provide what he considers an accurate assessment of the illegal mining situation.
He welcomed the government’s decision to establish military camps in communities affected by illegal mining, describing the move as “better late than never”.
However, Tetteh questioned why President John Dramani Mahama had not declared a state of emergency over the galamsey crisis, arguing that the scale of environmental destruction and the persistence of illegal mining provided enough justification for such a step.
His comments come amid continuing concerns over the effectiveness of Ghana’s efforts to curb illegal mining and allegations of corruption among some officials involved in enforcement.
